The latest Caleb Williams update adds pressure to how the Green Bay Packers will operate against the Chicago Bears in Week 5. Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that Williams will miss the NFC North rivalry game. The starting quarterback has a hamstring injury and has been out for the past two games.

Instead, Chicago will turn to Tyson Bagent. The former undrafted quarterback posted an 83.9 passer rating in the Bears’ win over the New York Jets on Sunday, and he will make another start against Green Bay.

“Tyson will be the guy and we’ll go forward from there,” Johnson said on ESPN 1000. “The best part was how he controlled the operation. I thought we had good tempo in and out of the huddle. I thought our guys played with a lot of confidence because of how he conducted himself and he found completions. I thought he played an efficient football game.”

A quarterback room that kept shifting

The Bears’ decision is worth unpacking. Johnson didn’t have the option to go with Bagent in the previous game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Therefore, Chicago started Case Keenum, its third-string quarterback, and Keenum actually played better than Bagent did against the Jets.

Bagent will still get the start against the Packers anyway. Johnson said that reflects the pecking order of the Bears’ quarterback room.

Bagent’s status as a backup doesn’t mean Green Bay will face a broken offense, though. The Bears have played relatively well without Caleb Williams. Johnson has built something close to a quarterback-proof offense, and it has operated at a high level, especially in the running game. Chicago is 10th in rush EPA.

Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift have both generated strong numbers for the Chicago rushing attack. That’s the unit the Packers’ defense will have to slow down.

Why a loss would be a blunder

The context is what makes this game so important for Green Bay. A divisional loss to the Bears while Chicago plays without its starting quarterback would be a blunder for the Packers. It would also add a lot of pressure on head coach Matt LaFleur, especially after how last season went.

The Packers would fall to 2-3, a terrible outcome at this point of the regular season. And that’s because the NFC North doesn’t leave much margin for teams that drop winnable division games.

Green Bay has its own fair share of injuries. Micah Parsons won’t be back for this one. Additionally, the Packers have right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, wide receiver Jayden Reed, and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper out for the entire season. That’s a lot of talent missing from the lineup.

Nonetheless, the Bears’ quarterback situation tilts the matchup. With Williams sidelined, the Packers face a clear urgency to win this game and get back in the NFC North race.

What’s at stake in the division

A loss would say something uncomfortable about where the Packers stand. It would inevitably mean that Green Bay is a weaker team than Chicago, even with the Bears down to their backup quarterback.

As a consequence, the NFC North race would become much tougher for the Packers in 2026. Falling behind a division rival that was missing its starter is the kind of result that lingers well beyond one week.

The difference between a 3-2 start and a 2-3 start goes beyond the standings. A win keeps Green Bay in the race and eases some of the pressure on LaFleur. A loss raises real questions about how the Packers compare with the Bears, and the remaining schedule won’t offer many chances this favorable.